But how do you actually play with your Buddy? Thankfully, it’s a really simple process, and we’re here to show you how it works!

When you want to play with your Buddy Pokemon, you’ll need to interact with it through the game’s AR camera view. To do this, first tap on your Buddy’s picture when viewing the world map.

Source: SuperParent

Then tap the large “Play!” button.

Source: SuperParent

Follow the directions to find a suitable location where you can “place” the Pokemon in front of you on the screen. From there, as Eurogamer reported, all you have to do is rub your finger back and forth on your Pokemon to cause them to react. This should count as “playing” with your Buddy. If you have an active task that wants to you play with your Buddy, you'll see a notifcation appear in the bottom-right corner of the screen when you've successfully "played" with them.

Source: SuperParent

Keep in mind that swiping on your Pokemon may also cause them to react and move, but this doesn’t count as actually “playing” with them.

Editor-in-Chief

Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek’s Social Pro Daily. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.